I didn’t notice Jarred also making his way toward us, and for a moment, I wonder if there’s more between them than just friendship. But I don’t want to ask. I’ll find out, one way or another, but right now, I can’t deny I’m scared of them both.
“Just let me go back to the house,” I whisper when Finn leans in. His mouth hovers over mine. I almost expect him to kiss me, but I’m a fool to even ponder that. He’s not the type of guy to kiss someone; he’d most definitely fuck you into oblivion, but there’s no tenderness in his demeanor.
“And why would I let my little princess do that?” he quips. There’s a menacing, yet playful edge to his voice, and for a second, I almost think he’s going to let me go. But then, he moves quickly and suddenly, and I’m sandwiched between him and Jarred. My front to Finn, my back to Jarred. Heat scores me from head to toe, and my spine tingles as fingertips gently dance their way from my neck to the base of my spine.
“What are you doing?” My question is a squeak, and I silently admonish myself for allowing him to get to me. I am stronger than this. I’ve handled far worse than Finn Thorne. He’s just another guy trying to exert his dominance. “Is this meant to scare me?” Even though I feel no confidence at all, I tip my chin up, hoping I can fake it until he lets me out of here.
Finn regards me through narrowed eyes, his long lashes making those irises hard to see. There’s a small smirk that curls his lips as he leans in closer to my face. We’re inches apart. And my stomach flutters stupidly as I once again think about him kissing me.
“You’re only here because your mother wants this,” he informs me coolly. “There is no reason for you to ever think you’ll be a Thorne. Not by blood, and most certainly not by name. We may be getting married,” he says, before lifting his gaze to Jarred, then he lowers his glare on me. “But you’re just another toy. Another little princess who’s got money so you think you have sway in my town.”
“I didn’t ask for this,” I spit, anger taking a hold of me, squashing the fear all the way down to my toes. “Don’t you ever try to tell me I’m the one who walked in here and tried to become a Thorne. I’m proud of who I am, and I will happily keep my name than take anything from you.”
Finn’s laugh is dark, threatening, and for a moment, I expect him to hurt me. But he doesn’t. Instead, he runs his knuckles over my cheek, the contact making my heart skip and flutters to come alive in my gut. Goosebumps awaken over my skin, and every inch of me is alight with need for more of his touch.
“I like that,” he tells me. My brows furrow in confusion at his words. “I like that you fight back,” he says then when he notices my confusion. “It will come in handy, little princess.”
“I’m no princess,” I bite out, only to earn myself a surround sound chuckle from both men. I’m out of my depth. I thought by coming here I would need to learn who Finn is, but now there’s someone else, Jarred. Even though they’ve not given me any indication of their relationship, I have a feeling there’s more to it than just platonic mates.
“No,” Finn finally agrees. “You’re not.” He straightens, as if cold water had been sluiced over him. The moment is gone and he steps back. “Go to your room.” The order is clear. I don’t argue that he can’t make me do something, because it’s what I wanted. My feet carry me out of the greenhouse and into the living room within seconds. My breathing is ragged and my pulse is rioting.
I don’t take in the rest of the house; I rush up the steps and to my bedroom, where I shut the door behind me and lean back against the wood. When I blink, tears fall, streaming down my cheeks as the salty emotion burns its way down.
I head for my bed and flop onto the soft mattress. I pull out my phone and find a message from my mother, telling me to behave and to not cause any problems. She would say something like that. When I open my social media apps, all I see are the ugly words that are spewed at me daily. With over two million followers, you’d think that I wouldn’t see the negative, but they stand out more than the sweet, kind words.
The last picture I posted was of Thorne Haven. As the town came into view, I knew I needed to document it. Now that they know I’m about to be married to one of the wealthiest bachelors in the country, the abuse has only doubled, tripled. There are more vile words and comments than ever before.
I scroll through them and allow my sadness to take over once more. I wish I could forget. Numb the pain and stop the hate. One comment pops up and glares at me. It’s a rumor. My father killed himself, but the press didn’t report it as suicide. They spoke about how sad it was that such a prolific man could suffer a heart attack at such a young age. And it’s true, at forty-eight, I suppose he was young.
But the comment in question has my heart halting all beats.
Do you think he killed himself to get away from you?
I’m not sure why someone would say that. Yes, they have been rather mean over the years, but this has taken it to a whole new level. There’s also a message in my inbox, but I’m too afraid to open it.
When I tap on the Inbox, I notice it’s not from Finn. My heart sinks. It’s stupid, but even though he’s acting like a world-class dick, I can’t deny I’m attracted to him. Any woman with eyes would be. And I’m the lucky girl who’s supposed to walk down the aisle and say I do.
My attention is brought back to the screen, and I hover my thumb over the message. But I can’t bring myself to open it. The name is the same as the person who made the comment. I don’t want to know what they do. I don’t want to allow their accusations to hurt me. Even though I’ve already seen their comment, I’d rather not know what they said privately.
I shut down my phone without responding to my mother. I can’t bring myself to want to speak to her just yet. There is no doubt that after a few days of silence, she’ll call, but that is a chance I’m willing to take.
At this stage, all I want to do his curl into a ball and have the ground swallow me up. Maybe that’s how my dad felt. Maybe life had become too much for him and he needed an escape. Perhaps, it was the only solution and he chose the quickest way out.
With that one thought in my mind, I settle in and hope that I can sleep tonight. A dreamless rest.
9
ZARIA
The Past
Loneliness.
The absence of love and happiness brings about the onset of pain, of heartbreak, and of anger. I didn’t think I would ever feel so alone while being surrounded by so many people. The sound of the piano downstairs makes me smile because I know my father is in one of his moods. The soft tinkling filtering through the enormous house.
Every birthday, he’s done this. Now that I’m sixteen, a teenager and slowly growing up before his very eyes, he told me that I will always be his little girl. Even though I’m already planning my future, where I’ll be going to college, Dad says that no amount of plans will ever change how he sees me.
I think he’s lying.
Mainly because when he does glance my way, I notice the proud smile that graces his lips. Over the years, it’s changed somewhat. And now that I’m moving on in school, a year ahead of my peers, I’ve seen it morph into a shocked, yet happy grin that makes my chest full.